Crossroads School
The Crossroads Community Outreach Foundation (CCOF) is dedicated to bridging schools and the larger civic, educational and cultural communities and creating programs in support of underserved children, youth and families and their education. Throughout the School’s history, community service has been an integral part of the kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum, as well as a graduation requirement. Requiring of itself what it has always required of its students, institutional community service was a natural evolutionary step and a deep reflection of the School’s founding mission and community values.
PS Science
P.S. Science is a project of the CCOF created to captivate young minds and inspire a lifelong passion for science. This mobile, exploration-based weekly science program benefits first, second, and third grade students in Title I schools where exposure to science is either non-existent or severely limited. This situation is the consequence of No Child Left Behind, which does not require science testing till 4th grade. Since it is not tested, it is generally not taught, particularly in Title I schools.
P.S. Science makes it possible for young children to:
- See themselves involved in scientific endeavors
- Do hands-on science every week
- Know that science defines, and will change, their world
In 2004, CCOF began the first stages of developing the P.S. Science program as a response to the need for meaningful early elementary school science education. CCOF conceived of P.S. Science to fill this need by providing content and experience-rich science instruction. The program is designed to enhance students’ science literacy with a focus on understanding content through process. In addition to teaching the children, P.S. Science also intends to train the teacher until he/she is comfortable enough to teach the subject matter alone and also has experienced the value of science education in other academic areas, specifically math and language arts. P.S. Science serves first through third grade children at underserved schools by creating a foundation of relevant and compelling science experiences. CCOF first piloted P.S. Science in 2006.
P.S. Science currently serves 440 children living at or below the poverty line at William Green Elementary School, McKinley Elementary School and Saint Anne School, all Title I schools.
K-8 Comprehensive Music Program
Since 2006, CCOF has partnered with Saint Anne School, a Title I school with a founding commitment to serve the working poor, on a variety of programs.
In 2008 Crossroads School collaborated with volunteer professional musicians from So-LA Music Academy on a weekly basis in one-hour blocks to offer music to the students at St. Anne. Instruction included:
- Orff-Schulwerk hand percussion and mallet instruments for grades K-3;
- recorder instruction in grades 4-5;
- woodwinds in grade 6,
- guitar and chorus in grades 7-8.
Using donated instruments, this free and collaborative music program brought instrumental music to inner-city children, and they thrived in their music development.